These Audience-related questions are designed to help you assess the news story from different audiences’ points of view. Do not use them all, but choose as many as will help you assess your chosen news report.

Return to the Fake News triangle page.
Go to the Text page.
Go to the Production page.

Who is the target audience for this news story?
How and why does this story appeal to its target audience?
How do you know? (e.g, uses of language, images, website)

Why might this news be ‘trending?’
Does the fact that it is trending influence you to believe or to suspect the news?

How does this news appeal/not appeal to you?
How does this news make you feel?
Why might you have that reaction?

Are there elements in the news that appeal to your biases? How? (Bias confirmation occurs when information confirms your worldview.)

Do you feel like sharing this news? Why? With whom?
Who would you definitely NOT share it with? Why?

Who does this news story include/exclude (e.g., points of view, who is interviewed, etc.)?

In what different ways might people use or consume this news story?

Who is sharing it? Who is responding? How?

How might your online activities have led to your awareness of this news story (through social media, sites you have visited, comments you have made,  Likes you have clicked, etc.)?

To which audiences might this story NOT appear?

Are your values represented? Why or why not?

How might this news story be changing society?

How might you respond to this news?

Return to the main triangle page.
Go to the Text page.
Go to the Production page.